Improvement in fulling-machines



' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IMPROVEMENT IN FULLING-MACHINES. v y

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 38,469, dated May 12, 1863A To @ZZ whom it may concern: A

Be it known that I, GIUSEPPE MATEO GOPPO, of Paris, in the Empire of France,`

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machinery for Fulling Felt Hats and other Felted Goods; and I do hereby declare that the following, taken in connection with the drawings which accompany and form part of this specification, is a description of my invention suiiicient to enable those skilled in the art to practice it.

These improvements relate to peculiarities in machines for falling, more particularly felt hats of ne quality, by means of which the operation of felting is effected more rapidly, perfectly, and economically than has hitherto been done.

The leading features of this machine consist in the use of one or more hollow beaters, which are best made of brass, copper, or other suitable sheet metal, striking the said felted hats, which are placed in a trough composed of wood and diiferent metals superposed, in the introduction ofheat between the strata or layers of this trough by means of stealn or oth er agents, and if steam is used in arranging its admission in such a manner that if necessary it shall also come into free contact with the felts being operated upon.

VBefore submitting felts to the working of this machine they are dipped in boiling water, containing in small quantity either vitriol, alum, potash, or alkali, and if during the fulling the liquid they are thus impregnated with evaporates too rapidly fresh quantities of the same mixture are poured on the felts in the trough.

In order that the machine I make use of be better understood, I have represented itin the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a plan ofthe same, and Fig. 2 a longitudinal elevation in section through A A, Iig. 1.

A is the workin g-trough, in which the hats or other articles are placed; b b', the mallets which effect the falling; c c', the leversjointed at point d e, the drivingwheel, provided on each face with three wooden rollers, f f f and j" f f7, the first of which communicate motion to the mallet b, and the latter to the mallet b and g and g are two rings by which either of the said mallets can be suspended out of the reach of the rollers, when it is desired that. theyremaiu motionless, notwithstanding the rotation of the drivingwheel.

The first improvement consists in the choice and the arrangement of thematerials of which thetrough A iscomposed. Externa-ily it consists of a cast-iroubox, c, open above, and

lined internally'y with sheet lead a', against which is fitted the lining of wood a?, which is covered with 'sheet-copper, or other slightly oXidisable or alloy, a3. A trough constructed in this manner is perfectly adapted to the work to be done in it. The copper by its smooth surface facilitates the movement or turning over of the felted articles. The wood, by iis elasticity, deadens the shock of the 1uallets,

which the cast-iron box is better able to resist on account of the sheet-lead placed between the cast-iron and the wood, as the lead accommodates itself to the inequalities of the wood and iron surfaces, and thereby causes the force of the blows to be received on or distributed over an extended surface.

The second improvement consists in im parting heat to the said trough by means of steam introduced through the cast-iron, and between the lead and the wood, or between the wood and the copper between either of which arrangements are made for providing sufficient space for its passage, the sheet copper in this case being employed as the external working-surface, offers the additional advantage of being a better conductor of heat than either ofthe three other materials.

The arrangements just mentioned consist of grooves h h, which may be formed in the wood on both surfaces thereof, where in contact with the copper and with the lead, which will be easily understood to be shallow grooves cut in the wood, and bounded on one side either by the copper or the lead, and all of which, by means of similar but cross grooves, and by holes formed through the wood, communicateV with a pipe or conduit, i, which supplies the steam or other heating medium, which pipe may be connected to the machine at any suitable place dictated by convenience. 1f steam is the medium used, and if its connecting-pipe passing directly upward from a boiler enters the machine at any part of the base thereof, the grooves in the wood may be so cut as to let the water of condensation pass back to the boiler through the steam-pipe 5 but if such is not location and arrangement of the steam pipe, a drain-pipe should beinserted in the place where the water of condensation will settle., which pipe may be provided with a cock, or maybe connected to any of thewellknown forms of what are technically known as steam-traps.77 This escape pipe is not shown in the drawings, but will be readily understood from the description. Should hot air or hot water be used as the heating medium, an escape-pipe should also be provided by which the air or water would pass oii' after having parted with the most of the heat. This pipe, which is not shown, should be provided with a cock to control the rate. of escape through the pipe.

The last improvement consists in the comparative lightness of the mallets obtained by hollowin g them out internally without in any Way interfering with their external shape. By the action of these lengthened mallets the felts are acted on much more gently than by solid ones, and all danger of injuring the felts removed. On account of the diminished weight of the mallets or heaters, they can be driven with great speed. and thereby the operation of fulling or felting is performed by a rapid succession of light blows.

l. Constructing the trough of a fulling-machine in layers or strata of the materials speciiied and arranged relatively to each other, substantially as described.

2. The hollow formation of the beaters or mallets by which elongation and extent of acting surface thereof is secured without sacrilice of lightness, substantially as speciiied.

3. The manner of employing heat by the introduction of a heated medium between the strata forming the trough, substantially as specified.

GIUSEPPE MATEO GOPPO.

In presence of- ERNEs'r DARNs, JAMES W. BRooKs. 

